Salmon Baked in Salt

You can make your freshwater salmon taste like it came from the sea.

Ingredients

5 lb. whole salmon, scaled, cleaned, and gills removed

8 egg whites

7 to 10 lbs. kosher salt

1/4 lb unsalted butter

2 Tbsp. fresh dill

Directions

1. Remove the backbone of the salmon by inserting a sharp knife through the stomach of the fish and starting at the head portion at the center. Cut on both sides of the backbone about one inch deep to the tail with the knife. The backbone can now be gently pulled out of the fish as a long strip.

2. Next remove the rib bones, with the knife and finally remove the pin bones with a tweezers or pliers.

3. Preheat oven to 350°. Rinse and dry fish completely. Rub the inside of the fish with unsalted butter and fresh dill.

4. Whisk together the egg whites and 1/2-cup cold water and combine it with the salt in a large mixing bowl. Work the mixture with your hands to distribute the water and egg whites in the salt. The salt mixture should hold together when you press a mound of it together.

5. Place 1/4 of the salt on the bottom of the baking dish. Place the salmon on top. Cover the fish with remaining salt and smooth the salt mixture with your hands or a spatula.

6. Bake salmon for 40 minutes to an hour. Bake fish to an internal temperature of 135° and remove from oven a let rest for another 15 minutes for heat to penetrate to the middle.

7. Bring fish to the table and crack the salt crust with a mallet or hammer. Pull back the salt layer and peel off the skin with a fork. Serve on hot place.

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